Process for the improvement of hydrocarbon oils by treatment with hydrogen under elevated temperature and pressure



Dec. 19, 1933. R. P. RUSSELL 1,940,65

PROCESS THE I P OVEMENT OF HYDROCAR N OILS BY TREATMENT WITH DROGEN DER ELEVATED TEMPER URE AND PRESSURE Filed April 18, 1930 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 19, 1933 v 1,940,650

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS BY TREATLIENT WITH HYDROGEN UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE Robert P. Russell, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Standard-I. G. Company Application April 18, 1930. Serial No. 445,270

'1 Claims. (01. 196-78) The present invention relates to a process for Passing to separator 14, the liquid oils are withimproving hydrocarbon oils by treatment with drawn through line 15 to storage (not shown) hydrogen under elevated temperature and presand the gas is e ved p a y under p sure. My invention will be fully understood from Sure by line 16't0 e Purification System The the following description and drawing, which ilpurification y be a ed Out u g a y con- 65 ustrates one for f apparatus suitable for venient means, such as scrubbing with heavy oils rying out my invention, under pressure to remove hydrogen sulfide and The drawing-is a sectional elevation diagramthe major q y of e u hyd car smatically showing an apparatus constructed to Purified gas flows to booster compressor 18 o carry out my i ve ti and indicates t flow which it is discharged into line 10 for recircula- 60 of the various materials in the process. tion- Fresh k p y r may be add d Referring to the drawing a hydrocarbon oil through line is fed from any convenient source by pump 1 In the operation of this improved process the through heat exchanger 2 and line 3 into coil 4. feed stock consists of hydrocarbon i w ic The heating coil is suitably mounted in setting may be finished unfinished, thetis ay W ch 65 5 and discharges through line 6 into reaction have have not been previously treated W drum '7. The drum is constructed to withstand acid, da or lay, w i ar p s d or p s d temperatures in th neighborhood of 750 t 5 and which may be distillates containing little or F. or higher and pressures of 200 atmospheres or 110 esphaltie materials y be du shigher and is provided with suitable insulation The feed s eated preferably with hydrogen to 8. The interior of the drum is filled with a. cataa decomposition temperature t exceeding 830 lytic material 9 which is packed into the drum by rapid passage ou a a ed ce l at a I in any suitable manner, for examine i h high rate sufiicient to prevent substantial decomlumps. The screens or perforated partitions 912 P s The heated mixture then passes de are placed in the drum as shown to prevent the high p ure hro h a r a i n m pe k d catalyst from being swept t of t drum by with a suitable catalyst which may comprise the the velocity of oil and may al b d t Supoxides or sulfides of such materials as chromium, port the catalyst against its own weight or against molybdenum tungsten, heir mixtures with the pressure imposed by th rapidly flowing each other or with other compounds such as zinc terials in the drum. Hydrogenis supplied under Oxide, magnesia, lime l mina, h s bein pressure in line 10 and may b passed t h 1 characterized by resistance to sulfur. The drum to follow the feed oil through to the drum. Adis preferably t ed at a emperature not ditional hydrogen may be add d t th drum in excess of 830 F. and ordinarily in the range through line 12 or to the coil inlet through line between 750 and h ea of co l 4 and 11. The hydrogen andoil pass up simultaneousthe heat of the reaction being sufficient to mainly through the catalytic bed 9, and in ord r t tain the temperature of the drum which is suitmaintain a high liquid velocity in this catalytic y insulated- The pressure is d above 20 zone a portion of the liquid oil is drawn off at the atmospheres and preferably in cess 01 100 or top of the drum by pump 21 through line 20 for 200 atmospheres and may be a h gh as 1000 recycling back with the fresh feed through line atmospheres more An excess of hydrogen 3. The remainder of the liquid oil passes ofi as is used, preferably in th atio of about 5000 to product with the hydrogen through line 13. It 10,000 cubic feet of hydrogen per barrel of oil should be understood, however, that I may obtain fed to the process. In its fiow through the catathe same velocity effect by use of a drum of small lytic ma s, reaction takes place between the ydiameter compared to its length, in which case drogen and the oil, thereby yielding oils of high 95 no pump is required and all the oil leaves the quality as regards flash, sulfur content, asphaltic drum through line 13 The material in line 13 content, and color, and which possess temperapasses to condenser 2 where liquid oil and hycure-viscosity relationships tending toward those drogen are cooled and a small percentage of light of Pennsylvania petroleum as distinguished from 0 oils formed in the process are condensed out. oils of the Coastal and Texas class. This latter 100 distinction may be more readily understood by reference to an article by Dean and Davis in "Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering vol. 36, page 618, in which oils are given a viscosity index number as a measure of the relative flatness of their temperature viscosity curves. In this classification Pennsylvania oils possess excellent viscosity index numbers in the range from 90 to 100, while low grade oils such as Coastal oils have a viscosity index between 10 and 30. A small amount of light oils boiling below 400 F. is formed in the process as side reaction products, but do not ordinarily amount to more than about 10 to 15 percent of the feed. The feed rate used in the process is expressed in terms of the volume of the reaction chamber and ordinarily is held between 0.3 and 1.2 volumes of oil per volume of reaction space per hour, the poorer quality feed oil requiring more time than higher grade oils to produce equivalent products.

I have found in the operation of the process that the mass velocity with which the oil is passed over the catalyst is of importance in obtaining maximum yields of high quality oils, as well as high throughputs per unit volume of reactor space. If the mass velocity is too low, to or even less oil of a definite quality is obtained and a throughput, 10 to or even lower is necessary. As the mass velocity of the oil through the catalyst bed is increased, the throughput may be raised and the yield of a given quality oil increases. I have found that this velocity should be in excess of about 0.25 pounds of oil per second per square foot of reaction drum cross section, and that increasingly improved results are obtained as the velocity is raised, for example to 1.0, 3.0 or even 5.0 pounds per second per square foot. Velocities in excess of this may be used with excellent results, but the advantage gained is ordinarily offset by the increased cost of pumping, higher pressure drop, and the possibility that the catalyst may be eroded and crushed by excessive velocities. It will be understood that I may secure high velocity through the catalytic zone in a variety of ways, for example I may rapidly recycle a part of the oil through the drum by means of a pump, taking off a finished product from the system in an amount substantially equal to the fresh feed where a continuous system is used as illustrated. Similarly, I may con struct the reaction chamber of small diameter compared to its volume, so that a high mass velocity is obtained without recycle pumping, or I may use other suitable means such as baiile walls to cause two or more passes, or space nlling cores inside the reactors, as will be understood.

As an example of the operation of my process and of the eifect of mass velocity of oil through the catalyst bed a Colombia lubricating oil distillate having the following inspection is fed to the apparatus:

Gravity 21.7 A.P.I. Vis. at 100 F 662 sec. Saybolt Vis. at 210 F sec. Saybolt Fla 390 F.

at 100 F. Two runs are made, one with a mass velocity of 2.8 pounds of oil per second per square foot of reactor cross section, and a second with a mass velocity of 0.04. The results are as follows: 0

Conditions of operation Mass velocity-fleec/sq. it 2.8 0.04 Reactor tem F.. 766 782 Feed ratevol.lreactor[hr. 0.33 0.33 Hydrogen-cuJt/bblnill. 0800 0800 Inspection of product on 0150 via. a 210 F. (Saybolt) 64 as 400 405 Gravity A.P.I- 27. 3 27. 3

on a so vise. 210 F. (Saybolt) Percent yield on feed 35 32 Flash r 450 4st Grevity A.P.I 27.3 27.4

A consideration of the results tabulated above shows that 6% more of a 50 seconds Saybolt vis- 10C cosity oil of the same quality (as shown by the flash) is obtained with the higher mass velocity. The 60 seconds Saybolt viscosity oil shows a corresponding relation. In addition to this it is possible to operate with a temperature 16 F. lower when the higher velocity is used.

In a similar manner an additional pair of runs is made using a Colombia lubricating oil distillate of the following inspection: Gravity 22.1" A. P. I. no Vis. at 100 F 617 sec. Saybolt Vis. at 210 F 60 sec. Saybolt Flash 430 F.

A catalyst of the same composition as given in the previous example is employed in the reactor together with a similar excess of hydrogen, namely about 6800 cubic feet per barrel of oil. In each run the reactor temperature is held at 790 F.

and the feed rate is adjusted to produce the maximum amount of oil at 420 F. flash and 50 seconds Saybolt viscosity at 100 F. One rim is made with a mass velocity of 0.04, the other with a velocity of 0.7. The results are as follows:

Conditions of operation ttZt ?;f?f.:::: 3'93 Feed rate-voL/vol. reactor/hr... 0. 5 0.33 Hydrogen-cu.it./bbl. oil 6800 0800 Inspections 0! Product on ofb'O m. a 210 1 (mean Percent d on feed. -I 62 47 O m m Gravity A.P.I 21.9 21.0

on of on via. 210 F. (same) Percent yield on leed l2 0 Flash F 5m 5% 146 Gravlty an 21.5 21.5

Runs III and IV illustrate the point that by using a higher mass velocity through the catalyst bed it is possible to attain higher throughputs from the reactor when a definite temperature is maintained. The feed rate in run III is 50% high than in run IV and somewhat better yields of oils of the desired viscositles are obtained.

This invention is of particular importance in 150 processes where oils are improved in quality without substantial formation of low boilingclls, tor example in the improvement of lubricating oils. This type or treatment, which employs temperatures usually between 750 and 810 F., has been used as the illustration in this specification. However, my invention may also be applied in a process such as set forth in my co-pending application Improved process for producing low boiling oils from high boiling oils by action or hydrogen at elevated temperatures, Serial No. 438,405, filed March 24, 1930. In this process large amounts of low boiling oils are produced, and temperatures from about 850 to 91b F. are employed.

This invention is not to be limited by any theory of the mechanism of the reactions nor to any specific example which may have been given for purpose of illustration, but only by the following claims in which I wish to claim all novelty inherent in my invention.

I claim:

1. In a process for the treatment of heavy laydrocarbon oils by destructive hydrogenation in order to produce improved lubricating oils the steps of subjecting the oil to the action of hydrogen in a rection zone packed with a catalyst maintained at temperatures above 700 F. and under pressures of at least 2o atmospheres and causing a steady flow of oil to pass continuously in one direction through the catalyst at an absolute velocity above about 8.25 pounds per second per square foot 01' reaction zone cross sectiomthe time of contact being adapted to produce improved lubricating oils together with the formation of an appreciable but limited amount 0! naphtha.

2. Process according to claim 1 in which the oil and hydrogen are preheated and passed continuously through the reaction zone.

3. An improved process for producing improved lubricants from heavy hydrocarbon oil by destructive hydrogenation comprising passing the oil and hydrogen under pressure or at least 50 at mospheres through a reaction zone packed with suitable catalytic material maintained in the reaction zone at a temperature within limits or 700 and 800 F. and causing a steady continuous flow of oil to pass continuously in one direction through the zone at a velocity above about 9.75 poundsper second per square root or reaction zone cross section, the time or contact being .1 it cient to improve the oil with an appreciable but limited formation or naphtha.

4. Process according to claim 3 in which liquid oil is continuously removed and a part thereof is repassed through the reactor to maintain a high velocity.

5. An improved process for producing higher grade lubricating oil from heavy lower grade petroleum fractions by destructive hydrogenation comprising passing the oil continuously in one direction with hydrogen under a pressure above 20 atmospheres and at temperatures between 7069 and 810 F. through a body of a suitable cata lytic material and interadjusting time of contact, temperature, and velocity or the oil through the body of catalyst whereby substantially the male imum yield of lubricating oil of the viscosity and improved quality desired is produced together with an appreciable but limited amount of light oil.

6. Process according to claim 5 in which the time of contact is between the limits of Q3 d 1.0 volumes of oil per volume or reactor space per hour.

'7. Process according to claim 5 in which the velocity is above about 1.0 pounds per second per square foot of reaction zone cross section.

ROBERT P. RUSSELL, 

